Take My Hand
by Lady-x-Malfoy
Summary: Draco Malfoy no longer has the Malfoy fortune to depend on. His second child is born and he loses wife to Voldemort. How will he manage? RR!
1. The Malfoys

* A/N: Oh look, you stumbled upon my little fic. Yay! Though this plot I am about to take on has been done time and time again, I thought that since I enjoy reading fics like this I might as well try writing one. And does anyone know how to italicize on ff.net because the italics code I tried using didn't work. Thanks! And please R/R. I usually review at least one stolry written by any writer who R/R my story. By the way, this contains a few characters OOC, you've been warned!*  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, places, things, ideas, and whatnot that you recognize. They rightfully belong to J.K. Rowling. I do however most likely own the things that you do not recognize. Just thought I'd clear that up.  
  
On to the story!  
  
"Oh I don't know Draco," Elizabeth said as, looking in the mirror. She was a beautiful woman, with eyes the color of copper and long flowing auburn hair that reached just beyond her shoulders. She was about 5'6 and carried herself very well. In her years at Hogwarts she had been one of the two girls all the boys wanted a piece of, the other girl being Hermione. 8 months pregnant, she placed her right hand on her round stomach and caressed it. "I don't know how we're going to afford a second baby. Ephram's enough for us to handle, and now we have another baby coming in less than a month. Maybe we should--," she was cut off by his kiss.  
  
"Lizzie, it will be fine. We'll manage. A few sacrifices here and there never hurt anyone. He held her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips once again. He put his arms around her waist and placed his hands on her stomach. He whispered in her ear, "I love you." They were interrupted by the pattering of little feet running into the room.  
  
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" he yelled continuously. He ran and latched onto his mom's leg.  
  
"What is it Ephram?" she said. With concern, she put her hand on her four- year-old son's shoulder.  
  
"Uh..uh.," he thought with such passion that it seemed to Elizabeth he had something remarkably important to tell her. "I love you!" he blurted out. To Elizabeth, that WAS remarkably important. She gazed into the icy eyes that Ephram had inherited undoubtedly from his father. Other than his eyes, Ephram looked exactly like Elizabeth. He had silky auburn and a small pointy nose, both features that were predominant characteristics of Draco's beautiful wife Elizabeth.  
  
"You ready for that bath, Ephram?" Draco asked his son. He scooped Ephram up into his arms and lifted him high above his head, making the little boy laugh uncontrollably. Elizabeth watched with pleasure, knowing that her son and husband had a special bond that could not be broken-no matter what obstacle was thrown in their way. Draco took Ephram and carried him on his shoulders into the bathroom.  
  
"I just don't know how we're going to handle spending all this money on you, baby," Elizabeth said, talking to her unborn child. Though the words Draco often said to her about handling money were soothing, Elizabeth knew that once her second child was born, money would be extremely tight. She had not been working due to pregnancy and refused to begin working again until after the baby was at least one. Her husband had lost a job months before, when the Ministry of Magic began firing workers left and right. He had applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but lost it to a certain childhood enemy Harry Potter, for who would be a better teacher for the subject than the boy who lived-and the boy who defeated Voldemort countless times? He had always promised her that he'd go to Diagon Alley and look for work there, but he never did. Elizabeth always needed help around the house during her pregnancy. "There was never time for job applications when you had a pregnant wife," Draco had always said. But he always reassured her that he would find a job as soon as he could.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Who could possibly want to bother the Malfoys at 6:00, when most families were eating? Elizabeth hurried to the door and opened it, exposing unlikely guests standing on the porch.  
  
"Hermione? Ron?" she said in shock. "Come in, please!" she greeted them with joy. She had not seen these Hogwarts friends in years. Kissing them both as they walked in, Elizabeth led them to a quaint sitting area in the house.  
  
Accompanying Ron and Hermione were two little children, little Weasleys, Elizabeth assumed, knowing very well that Ron and Hermione had two children.  
  
"Liz, this is Gwyneth," Hermione said, grabbing hold of her little red- headed daughter. Purely a Weasley, that little Gwyneth, who was about Ephram's age. Gwyneth curtsied politely and went off to play with her older brother.  
  
"And that is Blake," Ron announced as he took a place on the nice, old fashioned, yet very comfortable couch.  
  
Hermione took the place next to Ron on the couch. "I simply can't believe you're eight months pregnant. For one thing, you look great. And it seems like only yesterday I got your owl with the good news!" Hermione said.  
  
Elizabeth tried to force out a smile, but it was difficult. The thought of having another baby excited Elizabeth, but she knew financially there was no way to do it.  
  
"Something wrong Liz?" Ron asked with concern.  
  
Elizabeth sat down and shot a nervous look at Ron. "I-I-I don't think we can afford this baby. Neither Draco nor I are working and we don't have much money in Gringott's. I've seriously been thinking that we should give up the baby after it is born-I just don't know how to tell Draco that," she explained as her eyes grew glassy with tears.  
  
Hermione got up and gave Elizabeth a hug. "Lizzie dear you know that we're here for you and we are always willing to share what we have with you. It may not be as much as we'd like to share, but it's something until Draco starts working again," she said reassuringly. Ron, who was eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans out of a candy bowl on the coffee table in front of him, nodded with agreement.  
  
"Lizzie!" Draco's voice called. He walked into the living room where everyone was with his son set carefully on his hip. He saw Hermione and Ron and his jaw dropped.  
  
"What on earth are you doing here?" he asked. He stuck his hand out to shake Ron's and gave a quick hug to Hermione. "Great to see you," he said. In their 7th year, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco had all grown more mature and decided to put all bad blood behind them and start over, as friends. "It's been almost a decade since I've seen you two," Draco announced, still in a state of shock.  
  
Ephram came running in. "Mommy, I'm all clean!" he yelled. Confused, he stopped running when he saw four unfamiliar faces in the living room. Draco introduced his friends first, as Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. Then, he introduced his son to the two other children, Blake and Gwyneth.  
  
"So, when exactly is the baby due? Is it a boy or a girl? We've got so much to get caught up on," Hermione said as she and Elizabeth walked into the kitchen to prepare a meal, unexpectedly for seven people instead of three.  
  
"The baby is due on the eighth of next month and Draco and I decided not to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. We like surprises," Elizabeth explained. "Oh Hermione, you have to see the nursery! It's the best we could do on such a small budget, but it's beautiful nonetheless. Draco worked on it all by himself for a whole week!" she exclaimed as she cut up an onion. "I'll show you now!"  
  
She led Hermione up the stairs and to the right. She opened the door and turned on the light, showing off a freshly painted baby's room. The walls were painted pale yellow and the carpet was blue. There was an oak crib and a rocking chair that matched. There were a few books and toys, but not many. Though it was not much, both Hermione and Elizabeth found it amazingly stunning.  
  
* A/N - I hope you liked it! More will be coming soon. Please R/R. Reviews and constructive criticism are ALWAYS welcomed. * 


	2. New Addition

Disclaimer: I don't own the anything (characters, places, things, etc.) that recognize. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own the stuff that you don't recognize. And I got the name Ephram from Everwood so I figured I should credit that too  
  
* A/N - At first, this fic goes by quick (One chapter per month) but as time goes on it won't skip as much and we'll move much slower *  
  
So, back to the story!  
  
- 2 Weeks later -  
  
"Elizabeth!" Draco called as he walked through the house, accompanied by Ephram. He got no answer, but figured that she most likely didn't hear him. He continued to look for her. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it. He saw his wife, who must've been too weak to answer him when he called, lying on the floor in pain. "Is it-time?" he asked nervously. Elizabeth nodded and Draco realized that he wasn't prepared for the birth of his second child yet. He quickly threw his things into a bag and got the Liz's bag, which was already packed. He walked both his wife and his son out the door and into the car. He switched on the invisibility booster and drove to the hospital which was about ten minutes away. Draco occasionally took his eyes off the road to look at his wife to check that she was doing ok. Elizabeth had her arm placed on the arm rest and had her head in her hand. Draco was panicking, but his wife was as calm as ever. Why was he such a nervous wreck? He landed the car in a desolate area and turned the invisibility booster off, as to not cause a ruckus about a car that appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"We're here!" Draco announced as he pulled up to the hospital entrance. He ran and opened the back door and retrieved his son. He walked around the other side to open the door for his wife, but she had already helped herself out. A nurse, who was standing with a wheelchair in front of the door, kindly asked if Elizabeth was in labor. Draco nodded and helped his wife into the wheelchair.  
  
"Right this way," the nurse said, opening the door for Draco who was pushing Elizabeth in the wheelchair. The three Malfoys were led to Room 336, which coincidentally was the same room that Elizabeth delivered Ephram. The nurse let them be and they all got settled.  
  
"So now we just wait," Elizabeth said as she lay propped up in the bed, which she thought rather uncomfortable. She gazed around her, noticing that not much had changed since she gave birth to Ephram in that room.  
  
Hours passed by slowly. Since it had started raining, Elizabeth watched the rain drops fall fiercely through the sky and then violently hit the ground.  
  
"Daddy can we go home yet?" Ephram asked, pulling on his daddy's pant leg. Draco picked him up and twirled him around.  
  
"Not yet Ephram, not yet," he kissed his son and put him back down just as Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny walked in. After exchanging hugs and kisses with everyone, a nurse took the five little children, Ephram, Gwyneth, Blake, and the two children belonging to Harry and Ginny, Lily and Eva, down to the play room filled with every toy imaginable. Before the children left the room completely, Elizabeth let out a long, drawn out cry of pain. Ephram came running back and grabbed his mom's hand.  
  
"Mommy are you ok? Mommy, mommy, are you ok?" he asked frantically. Draco picked Eprham up and swung him around and put him by the door.  
  
"She's ok Ephram, go play, won't you?" he said reassuringly to his son. He watched his son leave and then quickly turned back to Elizabeth. He gently stroked her forehead, brushing every strand of auburn hair out of her eyes. "Are you ok?" A sense of relief overwhelmed him when Liz nodded.  
  
"Elizabeth, would you like medicine for the pain?" a nurse asked.  
  
Laughing at himself, Ron replied for Elizabeth, "You don't have to ask her twice."  
  
Hours had passed. Hermione had fallen asleep on a cot and Ron did the same in a chair. Harry had gone to work and Ginny had gone to take all five kids, outside for some fresh air. Draco, however spent every moment awake my Elizabeth's side, even when she fell asleep. He refused to even close his eyes for a nap.  
  
At about 7:00 that night, Elizabeth was told it was time to deliver the baby. By this time, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were all accounted for (and awake) and ready for the birth.  
  
Draco grabbed Liz's right hand and Ron grabbed the left. Words of encouragement flowed out of everyone's mouths.  
  
"You can do it!"  
  
"Come on Liz, you've almost done it!"  
  
"You're doing great!"  
  
After one final push, the baby had been born. The doctor held it up and announced, "It's a girl!" Elizabeth cried when she held her baby for the first time. Ginny and Hermione cried as well. They imagined it was a female thing, since the females had always been more emotional. But then Draco started crying. He had tried to hide it but the tears were stronger than he was. He kissed the baby, then his wife. Ephram then came running in and Draco kissed him too. For a few moments, Draco had no worries. Money was not an issue for him then. He had his friends, he had his family. That was all he needed.  
  
Once the doctor noticed that the family was done with their "mushy-gushy lovefest" he asked, "What is her name?" Draco looked at Elizabeth and she looked back at him. They hadn't thought about the name much. But now, it was time. They couldn't raise a baby by calling her "her" and "she." But what name could possibly fit such a beautiful, perfect little girl?  
  
"Leila," Draco announced suddenly. Elizabeth shot a confused look at Draco and then at her newborn.  
  
She smiled. "Yes, Leila," she said in agreement. "Leila Rose." At this time, the baby smiled, as if she were approving her own name.  
  
The room was filled with, "Can I hold her?" and "Let me take a look," and "Smile for the camera," but most of all, the room was filled with love. Whoever knew, that Draco Malfoy could ever have that much love for people? People he once despised. Even he couldn't understand, but he knew now that life couldn't get any better.  
  
-A/N: You just took time to read it, now please, take time to review it! I hope you liked it. 


	3. The Hunt

DISCLAIMER: You know the deal. I don't own the people, places, things, or ideas that you recognize. J.K. Rowling gets all credit for those. Everything else is mine.  
  
A/N: Reviews/Constructive criticism = very nice! Enjoy!  
  
Now for Chapter 3...  
  
It was cold and rainy-thunder crashed and lightning illuminated the black sky, which had few stars that night. And then it happened. It blasted through the house, as it did every night for the past two weeks. He had forgotten the hell of waking up every night, answering to the cry of a helpless child. But for some reason, the cry of his daughter was the most beautiful song he had ever heard, even if it played in the wee hours of the morning. Draco's wife removed the warm blanket from her body and rolled out of bed, but a weary Draco shook his head.  
  
"I'll get her," he said. "You go back to sleep." Though feeling bad for her husband, Elizabeth didn't hesitate to climb back into the comfortable bed. Sleep was rare in the Malfoy house ever since Leila arrived.  
  
Draco rubbed his eyes and walked over to the basinet, which was in the room adjacent to his. He turned the light on and Leila cried louder as if she were blinded by the brightness. He gently picked her up and rocked her, trying to sooth her and get her to fall back asleep. Her cry died down, but thunder crashed once more, stirring up Leila's tears again. Frustrated, Draco sat in the rocking chair and rocked her gently. Before he knew it, her eyes were closed. He let out a long sigh of relief, placed his daughter lovingly in the basinet as to not wake her again. With the little bit of energy he had, he climbed into bed and resumed his slumber, only to be awoken three hours later by Leila's wail once again.  
  
As his wife tended to the baby, Draco took a cold shower to wake him up. Today was the day that he would try to go find work at Diagon Alley. He got washed up and went downstairs. His wife had prepared a nice breakfast for him. He devoured it quickly, kissed his wife on the cheek and then his daughter, who was in Elizabeth's arms, on the forehead.  
  
"Good luck," Elizabeth said as Draco ran, grabbed some floo powder, and yelled, "DIAGON ALLEY!" He was gone in a matter of seconds. The boom caused by traveling via floo power scared Leila to pieces.  
  
Banging both his head and rear end, Draco landed. He looked up and saw familiar places that he had not seen in some time, which all brought back memories of the days preparing for Hogwarts. He walked in and out of every shop, looking for jobs. His quest lasted for hours with no luck. No store needed any assistance of any kind. Draco found it ironic that when he needed work, there was none to be found. "Ahh, Ollivander's," he said to himself. "I wonder how he's doing. He is so old now he can probably use some help," he thought to himself.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Ollivander greeted Draco as soon as he stepped into the shop, Ollivander's Master Wand Makers. "Haven't seen you in quite some time young man."  
  
"I was wondering," Draco began. "Could you use any help around here? I'm willing to do anything. I'm in dire need of money." He explained the entire story to the wand-maker.  
  
"Another Malfoy, ay?" Ollivander asked, referring to Leila. "Well I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, I don't have an open spots for you to fill, but I do know that the Ministry of Magic has a lack of workers nowadays. I'm sure you've read that in The Daily Prophet, haven't you?"  
  
Draco nodded. The Ministry of Magic? Draco knew that this would be virtually impossible, for the Ministry of Magic was the entire reason he was poor. His father had done heinous things-unspeakable things-while working for the Ministry. All of the money in the Malfoy name was taken away as punishment. Draco had done his best to come up with money to replace it, but could never come close to the millions of dollars that were safely tucked away in the Malfoy account at one time. If Draco even tried to apply for a job there, they would shun him for the mere fact that he was a Malfoy. He was so desperate however; this would be worth a shot.  
  
Though it took quite some time, Draco finally arrived at the front desk of the Ministry of Magic. There was a receptionist at the desk. She was a small, fat woman with gray curly hair and a black pointed hat. She was rummaging through thousands of papers quickly with ease. She looked up, gasped at the sight of Draco, and continued working. She knew that he was a Malfoy by the platinum blonde hair and icy eyes that Draco inherited from his father,  
  
"Excuse me," Draco said. He cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. She looked up at him again, shook her head in shame and continued about her business, her eyes lighting up when she found the document she had been searching for.  
  
"Excuse me," Draco said once more. "Can I get some help here?" he asked with hints of attitude and frustration lingering in his voice.  
  
The woman rolled her eyes and looked at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid I can't help you with anything. Please show yourself out," she demanded.  
  
Draco slammed his hand on the desk. "You're going to help me Miss, regardless of what my damn father did years ago," he shouted.  
  
Frightened by the rage she noticed in Draco's eyes, the woman nodded and asked him what he needed, even though she knew that she wasn't supposed to let a Malfoy near the Ministry.  
  
"I need a job. A good one. I hear there are openings in the Ministry of Magic that I know I am more than capable of filling," Draco said. He talked as pompously as he did when he was younger.  
  
"There are spots here Mr. Malfoy, but I'm certain that the Ministry does not want another Malfoy working here ever again. Is that clear?" she asked. She could see the fire burning in Draco's eyes.  
  
Draco wasn't like his father, but everyone assumed that he was. Yes, as a child, it was true that he had characteristics of Lucius Malfoy. He was cunning and cocky, and was predicted to be the mirror image of his father. But as he got older, Draco realized that he didn't want to be his father. He didn't want to be anything like Lucius. Therefore he let his reputation of the "bad ass" go. Draco knew in his mind that he was nothing like his father anymore, aside from the last name, the physical resemblance, and of course, the ill temper every now and then. This temper was kicking in as Draco stood there with impatience.  
  
"Look," he said, getting in the face of the receptionist, who he noticed was named Millicent from the name tag she wore on her chest. "I need a job. I'm not my damn father so there's no use in thinking that I am. I'm trying to be nice but you're causing me to want to do otherwise. Please tell me what you can do."  
  
For the millionth time that day, Draco explained his family situation and his money issues. When he saw Millicent's eyes water with tears pity for the Malfoys, he knew that he was in. He knew that he'd have a chance.  
  
Millicent delved into a messy drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment with a list of departments in which there were job openings. She handed it to him and he read down the list. (A/N- you may not recognize these, but they too belong to J.K. Rowling)  
  
-Department of Mysteries -Magical Law Enforcement Squad -Accidental Magic Reversal Squad -Improper Use of Magic  
  
And then he saw it.  
  
-Department of Magical Games and Sports  
  
"What job is available for the Department of Magical Games and Sports?" he questioned. Millicent muttered a spell to herself and a piece of blue parchment came floating towards her.  
  
She pushed her glasses onto the tip of her nose and read, "The only job opening dealing with the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Games and Sports is the following: Assistant Chief Promoter of Quidditch." She looked up at him to see if he had any sort of reaction in the job. No one that had come to her looking for work had seemed interested in that job. Draco stood there in deep thought. After minutes of debating whether this job seemed fit for a Malfoy, he realized his current situation. He needed a job and he needed one fast. He had to apply.  
  
"I'd like to apply for that job," Draco announced. Millicent reached under her desk and a very small snowy owl emerged from what Draco had determined was a hidden cage. Millicent wrote something on a piece of parchment. Draco tried to read it to the best of his ability.  
  
To the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister (Percy Weasley),  
  
We finally have a potential applicant for the job of the Assistant Promoter of Quidditch. The only problem with this is his name is Draco Malfoy.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Millicent Warren Head Receptionist  
  
Millicent attached the note to the owl, patted its head, and it was off to find Percy, who not surprisingly had taken on the job of Senior Undersecretary to the Minister.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm not sure when I'll get a response from Mr. Weasley. He most likely has to contact Cornelius Fudge about this. It's a shame. This would be so much easier if you weren't who you are. You're welcome to either go home and wait for us to send you an owl, or you can sit here. I can't be sure how long you'll be here for, could be days for all I know, but you're welcome to stay regardless.  
  
Draco nodded and stood up, filled with aggravation. "I'll be expecting an owl from the Ministry soon," he said and walked out.  
  
A/N - I hope you liked it! Please R/R! I could really use your supportive comments and/or your constructive criticism. Flames aren't welcomed with open arms, but if you must..*scowl*  
  
* Lady x Malfoy * 


	4. A Tough First Day

* DISCLAIMER: I don't own what you recognize, J.K. Rowling does. What you don't recognize is mine.  
  
Chapter 4.  
  
He stormed into the house, frustrated with the day's happenings. He slammed the door behind him, cursing his father under his breath. His wife rushed to him, Leila in arms, followed by Ephram.  
  
"Baby what happened?" she asked, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He explained the lack of luck he had that day with finding work. Elizabeth tried to comfort him reassuringly, but when Draco's temper emerged, there was no stopping it. Elizabeth brought Leila to her room and placed her in the basinet. "Ephram, go play with your toys sweetums. I need to talk to daddy," Elizabeth said. She shooed him into his room. She returned to the kitchen, where Draco sat, eating a late dinner that Elizabeth prepared for him.  
  
"Draco," she whispered. He looked up at her, with cold eyes. Even she was afraid of his temper. "Draco everything will be ok. You said it yourself- before Leila was born. A few sacrifices here and there never hurt anyone. Remember?"  
  
"Yes I remember. But that was before Leila. I didn't realize how much money it would be taking care of two children. Liz, we can't handle this. I thought we could but now I know we can't. And if I don't get this job at the Ministry who knows what will happen. They could take Leila and Ephram away and send them to a.a.an orphanage so that they could be better taken care of. Liz I can't let my children be taken away from me. I just won't let it happen."  
  
Those words scared Elizabeth. She had often thought about that too, but had always tried to dismiss the thought of her children be taken away from an orphanage. She didn't want to let it happen, but she knew that there was a possibility that it could if the Malfoys didn't come up with money soon.  
  
"Draco, Ron and Hermione offered help when we need it. I'm sure we can come up with something if you don't get the job. But please, Draco, think positively. You don't know that you didn't get the job. We'll just have to wait and see," Elizabeth said, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. Draco stood up and looked her straight in the eyes, whispered "I love you," and kissed her. They were in this together and would never let anything tear them apart.  
  
Weeks had passed and there had been no word from the Ministry as to whether Draco had received a job or not. Draco had awoken that morning, confident that this was the day he would get the letter. He went downstairs and breakfast was on the table waiting for him. "That must be Darwin with the post," Elizabeth said after hearing a loud bang on the window. She went over to the window and opened it slightly. She unattached the post from Darwin and rummaged through it.  
  
"Is there anything from the Ministry? I doubt there is, the receptionist said it could take awhile," Draco inquired, with a little bit of hope in that the Ministry had responded promptly in his voice. Elizabeth pulled out an envelope and handed it to Draco, smiling. He checked the return address, verifying that it was indeed from the Ministry. Ripping the envelope open, he frantically read the first few lines.  
  
Dear Mr. Malfoy:  
  
I, Cornelius Fudge, am pleased to announce that you, Mr. Draco Malfoy, have received the position of the Assistant Chief Promoter of Quidditch under the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic.  
  
Elizabeth watched Draco read the letter, waiting for his reaction. A smile crept across his face as he handed the letter to her when he was through.  
  
"Oh Draco!" she shouted with joy. He ran over to her and picked her up, her auburn hair flowing through the air as he swung her around. They kissed, knowing that this would be the start of a new life for the Malfoy family.  
  
Two days later, Draco woke up at 5:30 in the morning, knowing that this was his first day at work. He showered and got dressed into his nicest cloak. He slicked back his blonde hair and looked at himself confidently in the mirror. His wife was still asleep, so he gently planted a kiss on her forehead, trying his best not to wake up. He peeked into his daughter's room, blew her a kiss, and went on to pay Ephram an early-morning visit. He grabbed a quick breakfast and was off.  
  
He found the telephone booth in the dark alleyway. A black cat jumped out at him, as he dialed 6-2-4-4-2. Millicent answered. Draco gave the required information, received his badge, and went to Level 7, in which his department was located. This level wasn't too fancy or clean, but Draco knew that it was the best that he could do, and he was satisfied with it. He entered a room that had the words "D. Malfoy" scratched into the door. The walls of his office were cracked and shabby. Papers flooded the floor. There were posters of every team imaginable tacked onto each wall. There was even a section of the right wall dedicated to Hogwarts Quidditch matches. He found a photo of a familiar game he played in Year 2. There he was on his broom, racing Harry for the snitch. He chuckled as he stared at the picture. "Those were the days," he thought to himself.  
  
Millicent sent a goblin up to Malfoy with a list of tasks to be taken care of by the day.  
  
1. Make Quidditch schedule for next month. 2. Send schedule to captain of each team 3. Review Hogwarts Quidditch scores for reference 4. Research and record all scores of each game for each team from the previous month 5. Have five copies of the scores ready by the end of the day 6. Send one copy to The Daily Prophet for publishing  
  
"Merlin that's a lot to do in three hours, they've got to be joking," Draco said to himself, thinking about how many games and teams there are in a month. "But with a little magic this will be done in a snap," he said, reaching into a pocket in his robe so that he could pull out his wand and begin to work. "Damn," he said, at the realization that he had forgotten his wand at the house. He let out a long sigh of frustrations, than a string of cusses, and proceeded to find an old quill in the disorganized desk. He sat at the desk in an ancient oak chair and found a blank piece of parchment.  
  
"Kenmare Kestrels vs. Chudley Cannons," he said to himself as he wrote.  
  
Though it was a long three hours, perhaps the longest and most drawn out three hours of his life, seeing Millicent walk through the door signified that his work day was over.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, do you have your assignment complete?" she asked sweetly, as to not to endure his temper again. He was in the middle of writing the eighth team's scores.  
  
He gulped, looked at Millicent and shook his head. "I'm nowhere near done, Millicent. Could you do I a favor and send an owl to my wife telling her that I won't be home for another several hours?"  
  
Laughing, Millicent nodded and said, "Mr. Malfoy, this job isn't as easy as you suspected, is it?" Draco smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Not even close to what I thought it would be, but I have to accept it. This is my job and this is the only way I'll get money. I have to do it. Even if I'll be getting home at midnight tonight," he kidded.  
  
"Well I'm here to collect the schedules. They need to be sent out straight away. I'd assume you've gotten them done, Mr. Malfoy?" Millicent said with attitude. Draco stood up and handed her the schedules and sat back down and continued working. He knew that he would hate his job if it would be like this every day. Then he looked on the corner of his desk. He had placed a picture of his wife, daughter, and son in a frame. He watched his wife move about and he laughed. He then realized that he would go through hell for his family, and that was exactly what he was doing.  
  
Millicent, who had left only minutes ago, came running back into Draco's office shouting things so quickly they were inaudible to Draco. All he could hear was, "Why do I have to tell him?"  
  
"Millicent, please, sit down what's wrong?" he asked, pulling out a chair for her.  
  
She sat down and said, "Mr. Malfoy, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I have to. Your wife was sent to St. Mungo's today. I wasn't told the reason, I was just ordered to tell you. Mr. Fudge said to dismiss you from your work and you can return to it when you feel capable to do so. With the blink of an eye Malfoy had gathered his things and gone out the door. He yelled, "Goodbye Millicent!" and ran off. He ran to the right side of the Atrium and waited until it was his turn to go. 


	5. St Mungo's

* Disclaimer * I do NOT own the stuff you recognize, J.K. Rowling does. I do, however, own the stuff you don't recognize.  
  
Chapter 5 -  
  
Running as the fastest pace Draco had ever found himself running at, he burst the doors the hospital. Nurse witches were running every which way, screaming out orders to each other.  
  
"Repair his bones!" one shouted.  
  
"Reattach her toe!" another yelled.  
  
Draco casually walked up to the front desk and asked, "Excuse me, I'm Draco Malfoy, can you please tell me where my wife is, Elizabeth Malfoy?"  
  
Mumbling to herself as she went along, the petite witch, with wild red hair that matched the hairs on each Weasley head, searched through thousands of papers on her desk.  
  
"Ahh yes, Mrs. Elizabeth Malfoy, here it is. She's in room 317," and as soon as those words left her mouth Draco was off. "Up the stairs and to the left!" she yelled as he ran frantically through the halls of the hospital, pushing anything and everything out of his way as he went.  
  
"317," he said to himself, looking each door, trying to find the correct one. "311, 313, 315, here, 317," He brushed his fingers across the nameplate tacked onto the door. "E. Malfoy," he read to himself. He put his hand on the doorknob for a few seconds, debating if he really wanted to open the door, for who knew what lie behind it? Hesitantly, he turned the knob very slowly. His eyes were closed until the door was fully opened and a small, white room was revealed to him. It was the nicest hospital Draco had ever seen. Everything was beautiful and white, from the curtains to the beautiful white lilies that were placed in a white vase on the white nightstand that sat next to his beloved.  
  
"Elizabeth," he called out to her. He reached out for her, from a distance which was too far to touch. Draco got no response and called again, "Elizabeth, darling." He moved closer to her bed and placed his left hand on her right. "Lizzie, please," he whispered, trying to stay strong, though every inch of his body wanted to cry. He was startled when Lizzie began to squirm. Her eyes opened suddenly and Draco could see the bewilderment in her eyes when she realized where she was.  
  
"Draco? Is that you?" she asked, squinting her eyes, trying to decipher the figure that stood beside her bed. "Where? What? Why? Draco, what happened? Why am I here? Where are the kids?" she asked worriedly.  
  
Upset that he could not answer her, Draco called for the head nurse so that she could make things a little clearer.  
  
"Elizabeth, you were brought here about six hours ago by a woman, Hermione Weasley I believe is her name. She said you were fine and then you suddenly collapsed and temporarily stopped breathing," the nurse paused while Draco finally broke down. Tears flowed from his eyes and though he tried, he could not cease his cries. "She got you here immediately. If she had waited any longer, you could've died. As for your children, they're with that Hermione."  
  
"When will I be able to go home?" Elizabeth inquired with the little strength she had left. It hurt her to speak.  
  
"Only time will tell Mrs. Malfoy. Only time will tell," the nurse said. She stood up and began walking out of the hospital room. Before she reached the door, Elizabeth started choking. She was being shaken about as if someone had a hold of her neck. The nurse called doctors and rushed to Elizabeth's side.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the nurse said, shoving Draco out of the room. He sat down against the wall outside Elizabeth's hospital room. He covered his face with his hands and bawled. What would he do without her? How could he raise two children by himself? His thoughts were interrupted by a hand placed fiercely on his shoulder.  
  
"You alright there?" a voice asked. It was Ron, accompanied by Harry. He had never been so happy to see them in his life. He needed shoulders to lean on and looking up at Harry and Ron, he knew he could use their shoulders. They sat down next to him as he explained what happened.  
  
"It was as if some unknown force grabbed her by the neck and rattled her about She was trembling and everything," Draco described what he had witnessed only minutes before.  
  
"You don't think it was - er - Voldemort, do you?" Ron suggested a most horrid idea. Draco shuddered at the thought. Ever since Draco left the dark side, he had feared the return of Voldemort, who had vanished three years after Draco's Hogwarts graduation.  
  
Draco looked at Ron, then at Harry, darting sharp looks at the two. "But why would Voldemort want her? Why wouldn't he want me? I'm the one who left the dark side. Elizabeth didn't do anything and doesn't deserve this," he said, tears swelling in his eyes once again.  
  
"Draco, maybe you've forgotten, but what was the reason you left the dark side?" Harry asked, knowing that this wasn't the time or place to bring the topic up.  
  
Draco dropped his head and put his sweaty hands on his knees. "Elizabeth," he whispered to himself. "It was all for Elizabeth. She'd have never loved a man of supporting dark forces. So I changed - just for her." He threw his head back and hit the wall. "You don't think that's why he'd be after her, do you?" Harry and Ron both shrugged their shoulders.  
  
They jumped back when the door to Elizabeth's room opened. A tall man with hair resembling Hagrid's walked through. "Which one of you is Mr. Draco Malfoy?" he asked, pointing at Ron, Harry, and Draco.  
  
"That'd be me, sir. Is she alright? Can I see her?" Draco asked anxiously, hoping that she was ok.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, it's never easy to say this, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news - but your wife died. It's believed to be the work of dark forces," he was interrupted by Ron, who continuously whispered, "I knew it, I knew it."  
  
"I'm sorry about this Mr. Malfoy. You can see her one last time - but only you," he said fiercely as he shot glares at Ron and Harry," the doctor continued. He opened the door for Draco.  
  
He stared at his wife - lifeless. He reached out for her hand - cold. He whispered, "I love you," in her ear but he was not heard. What would he ever do without her? How would he and his children get by? He kissed her cheek one last time and left when he could tolerate no more.  
  
He walked out of the hospital room and was startled when he saw Ephram standing, holding Hermione's hand. Ron was holding Leila. He looked at his children - so innocent. They did not deserve to lose their mother. He didn't deserve to lose a wife. His wife didn't deserve to die. Draco bent down and opened his arms. His son ran towards him and embraced him. Draco refused to let go for several minutes, for he had already had to let go of his Elizabeth. When he did finally loosen from the embrace, he walked over to Ron and held out his arms for his daughter. Draco looked at Leila, dead in the eyes. She was definitely her mother's daughter, with the physical features that she possessed. His children, Ephram and Leila, were all of Elizabeth he had of left.  
  
Though he tried his best to disguise them, tears escaped Draco's lonely eyes. Hermione walked over to him and held him tightly. "It'll be ok Drake," she said reassuringly. He knew that though he no longer had Elizabeth there physically, she was always with him. And he knew that his friends would be there for him for all time. The words played in his head. "Draco you lost her. Elizabeth is gone." This was the hardest reality to face.  
  
"Daddy, where's mommy?" Ephram asked. This was the point in which Hermione hit her breaking point. It must've been hard for her to take, seeing a child lose his mother. She immediately picked him up and held him, trying to dismiss his thoughts of the location of his mother.  
  
"What do I tell him?" Draco thought. "I can't tell him that his mom died and is never coming back."  
  
"Ephram your mommy took a vacation - a long vacation," Harry said. It was the first thought that came to anyone's mind. Ephram seemed to understand and believe it, but still had further questions.  
  
"Did she leave because she doesn't love me?" he asked. Draco took these words in as one would take a dagger through the heart.  
  
"Oh no Ephram, it's not that at all. Mommy loves you. You may not be able to see her, but she can see you. It's magic Ephram," Draco explained.  
  
"Like spells and stuff?" Ephram asked wearily. He wiped his eyes, for it was past his bedtime.  
  
"Something like that," Draco replied. "I think we should all go home. It's been a long night."  
  
Hermione carried Ephram out and Draco carried his daughter. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Draco would just have to wait and see - just like everyone else.  
  
Sleep was foreign to Draco that night. He tossed and turned, thoughts of Elizabeth flowing throughout his mind. He reached out to put his arm around her, but sighed at the vacant spot in the bed that was next to him. This was the first of the many lonely nights that Draco would have to face.  
  
Please R/R! Hope you liked it! Comments and criticism = YES! PLEASE! Flames = No thanks - only if you MUST 


	6. Where Do We Go From Here?

* Disclaimer * I don't own the stuff you recognize - J.K. Rowling does. I own what you don't recognize though.  
  
Chapter 6 - Where Do We Go From Here?  
  
Draco finally did fall asleep that night, but paid a high price for the little sleep he did get. Haunting images disturbed his once pleasant dreams. As he dreamed, he saw visions of a hooded figure - Voldemort - strangling and beating his darling Elizabeth. This was no dream. It was a nightmare.  
  
The recurring sound of Leila's cries wakened Draco at approximately 6:30 in the morning. He opened the dusty blinds and stared outside the window. It was still very dark out, but Draco assumed it would not be getting light out, since at this time the sun usually began to peek out from behind the clouds. The dark sky matched his dismal mood. He had lost himself in his thoughts - thoughts of his Lizzie - but those thoughts when Leila's cry grew louder. This happened to wake Ephram, who began to wail in unison with his sister.  
  
"Oh for the love of Merlin," he said to himself as he rubbed his forehead and proceeded to go into his daughter's room. He picked Leila up and gently swayed her in his arms, but when Ephram's cries grew stronger, he ran, daughter in arms, to tend to Ephram. Was this what Draco's life would be from now on? Would he always be constantly running around? And what would he do for work? He couldn't leave work, for he needed to bring in money to support his children. But where would he send his children? Ephram would be off to Prolesimagus (A/N- that's a combination of the words "child" and "wizard" in Latin, according to my sources) Wizarding Day Care in September of that year, but he would still have Leila to take care of. And besides that, September was months away!  
  
Once both of his children were calm and quiet, it was time for Draco to prepare breakfast. "This will be an experience," Draco thought to himself, for he had never prepared a meal other than cereal, and by his bad luck, there was no cereal in the house. "Waffles, waffles, waffles, how to make waffles," he repeated to himself, searching for a recipe spell in each of his wife's cook books. "AHA!" he shouted and slammed his hand on the page when he found it. "This doesn't look too hard," he said, briefly looking over the instructions. Confidently, he gathered the ingredients for the breakfast and began to prepare the meal. He pointed his wand at the ingredients and shouted, "Waffle Nutriciomensa!" His son was amazed when the ingredients banned together, producing two mouth-watering waffles.  
  
Pleased with himself, Draco then looked for a jar of baby food for Leila. "Hmm," he pondered, "What sounds more appetizing - smashed yams or smashed squash?" he asked himself, grabbing a can that was shoved to the back, labeled "Apples and Cinnamon." Attaching the bib to his daughter, he fed her, occasionally sneaking a spoonful or two for himself.  
  
He was so amazed that he was getting along so well. It was almost as though he forgot that his wife had died just the day before. However, Draco knew that was impossible. Just looking at his children made him think of Elizabeth. Everything reminded him of Elizabeth. For instance, the kitchen. It was Elizabeth's favorite part of the house, for it was the one place she could prepare meals, and more than that, the place where her family gathered each night to eat and converse. He shook his head to get his mind set straight again.  
  
Darwin flew straight into the window again. "Oh Darwin!" Ephram laughed at the owl, "You're so silly!" Draco laughed briefly at his son's delight and sauntered to the window. Darwin had brought at least fifteen letters in that morning's post. "All sympathy I'm sure," Draco said quietly to himself. He flipped through the envelopes and saw one with the return address of the Ministry. Curious as to what it was about, he tore it open.  
  
Mr. Malfoy,  
  
The members Ministry of Magic send sympathy to you and your family. We know that you are going through tough times. However, you are expected to return to the Ministry in two weeks. If you need anything, feel free to send Millicent an owl. See you on the day of your return, the twenty-ninth of this month.  
  
Sympathetically yours,  
  
Cornelius Fudge Minister of Magic  
  
Draco let out a long, drawn out sigh and put the letter down. He would have to leave his children with Hermione or Ginny. He had no other choice. He ambled around his kitchen and stopped to look at his wedding photo, which hung crookedly on the wall. There he stood smiling with his wife. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. He tried to force a smile, but it was too hard for him. He adjusted the photo so that is hung straight on the wall and walked away. He picked up his daughter and danced with her, to nonexistent music.  
  
Ephram looked at him awkwardly. "Daddy, what ARE you doing?" he asked, still staring at his father in confusion. "You can't dance without music!"  
  
Draco laughed, "You know Ephram, you're right." Draco thought for a second and began to sing. "You are my sunshine - my only sunshine."  
  
Ephram chimed in, "You make me happy - when skies are grey." Together the father/son duo crooned softly, "You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away!" Draco clapped and bent down to kiss his son, who had firmly attached himself to his father's leg. Though his sunshine Elizabeth had been taken away from him, Draco's skies were still bright, knowing he had Ephram and Leila. Draco looked at his baby girl and a smile crept across her face, knowing that she was in her daddy's arms. But she'd never know her mother. And Ephram didn't understand that he'd never see his mother again. Draco still didn't understand why his wife had to be taken from him, but if that's what fate had in store for her, and there was nothing Draco could do about it.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Draco placed Leila in her high chair and walked to the door. He had an idea of who it was, so he was not surprised when Hermione and Ron barged into his home, followed by the two Weasley children.  
  
"Is everything going well?" Hermione asked concernedly. She walked over to Draco and kissed him on the cheek. "I've been so worried. I barely slept last night. Oh Draco I can't believe she's gone," Hermione said. "My best friend is gone." She embraced Draco, knowing that he was feeling a deeper pain than she. By this time, the Weasley kids and Ephram had gone off to play. Hermione said a quick, short spell and a three mugs filled with tea appeared on the table.  
  
"So, what are your plans for the Ministry?" Ron asked as he took a seat at the small oak table.  
  
Draco took the seat across from Ron and next to Hermione, replied, "I just got a letter from the Ministry today. They're giving me two weeks off and they want me back on the twenty-ninth. Speaking of work, Hermione, would you mind looking after the kids while I go to work? I don't know what else to do with them."  
  
Hermione looked up from her cup of tea and nodded, "Of course! I'd be delighted to Draco. You know I'm always willing to help out." She reached out her hand and placed it on Draco's.  
  
"So how are you holding up?" Ron asked, hoping that this was a topic that Draco didn't feel awkward covering. Draco sat in silence for a few moments and Ron shot a worried look at Hermione.  
  
"I guess I'm alright. The house just feels - empty without her. The bed felt so vacant last night I could hardly bear sleeping in it. Waking up without seeing her smiling face-," he choked on his tears.  
  
"All right Draco, that's enough of that," Hermione whispered, shooting an evil look at her husband for bringing up the subject.  
  
"I just keep asking myself the same question. Where do I go from here?" Draco said, placing his mug back on the table.  
  
* A/N * Please review! I'd really like to know what you think. Again, nice comments and constructive criticism are always nice. I, like most authors, don't like to get flames - but if you MUST, then that's your choice. I hope you liked it! 


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